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Amongst those who fought against Sayyiduna Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in Karbala, 6000 Kufis were killed at the hands of Mukhtar whilst the rest faced many types of punishment and torment. The scholars state that not one of the killers of Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) were saved from punishment in this mortal world. Some of them were viciously killed, others were blinded or afflicted with leprosy whilst others were struck with various types of calamities.
Hakeem Ibn Tufail was that unfortunate individual who had taken possession of the clothes and weaponry of Hazrat Sayyiduna Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in Karbala and he had shot arrows at Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Mukhtar’s soldiers arrested him, took him into a house and made him stand with shackles tied to him. They made Hakeem stand in a certain part of the house and said to him, “You took off the clothes of Abbas Ibn Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum) thus we shall strip you of your clothes whilst you are alive.” They made Hakeem totally naked and then said to him, “You struck Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) with an arrow, now we shall make you the target of our arrows.” After saying this, they shot arrows at him until he was destroyed.
Zaid Ibn Ruqaad was that wretched individual who had shot an arrow at Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) on his forehead. In order to block his forehead, Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) placed his hand on his forehead but the arrow struck him so severely that his hand was joined to his forehead by the arrow. When his hand could not be separated from his forehead despite many attempts, Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) supplicated in the Court of Allah Ta’ala, “O Lord of the Worlds, disgrace our enemies in the manner that they have disgraced us. O our Lord, kill our enemies in the manner that they have killed us.” Zaid Ibn Ruqaad then shot an arrow towards the stomach of Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and he became martyred.
Mukhtar ordered Ibn Kaamil and his soldiers to capture Zaid Ibn Ruqaad. Ibn Kaamil ordered his soldiers not to destroy Zaid with swords and spears but to rather attack him with arrows and stones. The soldiers threw so many stones at him that he eventually fell to the ground. He was then captured and Ibn Kaamil set fire to him and burnt him alive.
It is narrated with regard to that vile person who shot an arrow into the throat of Hazrat Sayyiduna Ali Asghar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that he was afflicted with a strange illness. In his stomach, he felt such a great amount of heat that it was as though fire was burning inside, whilst his back felt extremely cold. In order to ease his situation, water and ice would be placed on his stomach but in spite of that his stomach would not feel any cooler. By placing his back near a fire he would attempt to make his back feel warmer but that would also be unsuccessful. He would exclaim, “Thirst, Thirst!” The people would give him water and milk as well as other drinks but even if he drank five pots of water his thirst would not be quenched and he would be crying out loudly, “Thirst, Thirst!” This continued until eventually his stomach burst and he died in this disgraceful condition.
There was a man in the army of Yazeed but he did not kill anyone. After the events of Karbala he became blind and was asked about the reason for his loss of sight. The man replied that he saw Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in a dream in such a condition that his sleeves were folded and a sword was in his hand. In front of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), skin was spread out and ten murderers of Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) were placed there after being slaughtered. When Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) looked towards this man, he (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) cursed him and rebuked him. After dipping a needle into blood, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) passed it over the man’s eyes and since that time, this man remained blind.
Allamah Ibn Hajar Makki (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that the face of a soldier from the Yazeedi army became dark due to the fact that he had hung the blessed head of Sayyiduna Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) on his horse’s neck. Someone asked him why his face, which used to be extremely bright, became so dark now. The man replied that ever since the day when he hung the head of Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) on his horse’s neck, every night he was taken by two people to a place where there is a lot of fire and they placed him in the fire face first and then took him out again. Thus the face of this man became very dark and he eventually died a horrible death.
It is narrated that some people were once discussing in a gathering how everyone who had played a role in the martyrdom of Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was somehow tormented and punished in this world before they died. An old man, who was present in this gathering, arrogantly said that he had assisted the murderers when they were murdering Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) but he had not been punished in any way. After saying this, the old man stood up to sort out the lamp in front of him when he was set alight by the fire of the candles in the lamp. The entire body of the old man was ablaze and he was screaming, “Fire, Fire!” The old man then jumped into the River Euphrates but the fire did not extinguish and he died in the Euphrates whilst he was still burning.
Hazrat Imaam Jalaaluddeen Suyuti (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that a smallpox epidemic caused chaos for one whole year. 1500 children of those people who had gone to Karbala in order to kill Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) were afflicted with this illness and they all became blind.
Hazrat Sayyiduna Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that Allah Ta’ala revealed to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that He destroyed seventy thousand (70 000) people in retribution for the murder of Hazrat Yahya Ibn Zakariyya (Alaihimus Salaam) and He would destroy 140 000 people in retribution for the murder of the grandson of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) i.e. Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). And thus the promise of Allah Ta’ala to His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was completed and 140 000 of the enemies were killed.
The question might arise as to why 140 000 people were killed when only 22 000 men came onto the battlefield to fight against Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). The answer is that the people who were not on the battlefield but who conspired with the terror activities of the Yazeedis by supporting and encouraging the Yazeedis in their attempt to assassinate Hazrat Imaam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) were also guilty of conspiracy to murder. Therefore they were also punished and killed along with the murderers even though they did not go to Karbala.
May Allah Ta’ala save us from showing animosity towards the Blessed Sahaabah and the Ahle Bait, Allahumma Ameen.
[Compiled from Khutbaat-e-Muharram by Faqeeh-e-Millat Hazrat Allama Mufti Jalaaludeen Ahmad Amjadi Rahmatullah Alaih]